Christianity & Politics

In many parts of today’s world, Christians are deeply divided from their neighbours—and from one another—by political allegiances. The stakes seem so high, and biblical teaching about government so clear and urgent, that agreement on politics is often treated as a test of faith. In this course we will take a step or two back from current events to examine three robust traditions of Christianity and politics: Roman Catholic, Reformed (Calvinist), and Anabaptist. Each of these approaches is thoroughly Christian, but each has a distinctive history, set of principles, and general guidelines for how the individual Christian and the church as a whole ought to relate to the political realm in thought and action. They also provide points of comparison against which students can consider the traditions of their own churches. We will draw from all of these traditions as we look at a set of issues that play an important role in politics across many countries today: democracy and constitutionalism, secularism and pluralism, digital media and politics, race, and international relations.